Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-03-17
A COLORED ACCOUNT
About the Smallpox in This
City,
BY ONE OF THE STATE BOARD.
Truth and Exaggerati0n Blended
Artfully But Unfairly by
DR.. Simpson.

SAN FRANCISCO, March l6.-Dr. Jas.
Simpson, of the State Board of Health,
returned to this city to-day from Los
Angeles, where he went last week with
other members of the board for the pur.
pose of inquiring concerning the SIN ALL
pox cases in Southern California.
"We found" said DR.. Simpson this
afternoon, "that the people of Los An.
geles are inclined to extreme secrecy
concerning smallpox and the press there
is as silent as possible. They seemed to
consider that the visit of the State
Board Of Health was impertinent, and
say that they are able to take care of the
disease themselves. Iu the community
there are found two persons who are
alive to the necessity for action. These
are Mayor Workman and Chairman
Rowan of the Board Of Supervisors.
The Councilmen, who are really the Board
of Health, seem to think the matter of
little consequence. and are inclined to
speak of it as little as they possibly can. !.
The Health Officer at Los Angeles con-
sidered il too much trouble to re-vac.
cinate anyone, and to examine those
where the last vaccination was effectual,
and he repeatedly stated that the dis
ease is of no consequ ence, being of q
light form and fully under control. My
opinion of the condition of affairs is that
it is nov serious and likely to become
more so unless more energy shall he dis
played by the Los Angeles authorities
than heretofore in dealing with the dis.
ease. The fact is that four weeks ago
there was only one case, and now it is
admitted in Los Angeles that there have
been forty cases. In the meantime
there are, in various parts of Los An
geles, fifteen houses under quarantine,
and there are thirteen patients in
the smallpox hospital. Here are sixteen
points in the city which may become
centers for the spread of the disease un.
less great care is exercised. Some of
the cases are on the finest streets, on
Hill street, for instance. Others are in
Spanishtown. The smallpox hospital is
very small and they are talking Of an
other, but that is not built. Instead of
the disease being stamped out, each
point may become center of infection.
Gases have been principally among the
local population and not among visitors.
The Southern Pacific Company has
caused it's employees to be vaccinated at
its own expense. The city of Los Ange.
les has vaccinated q great number of per-
sons. DR.. Kurtz told me that the first
virus they received was almost barren of
result, but now they have better virus
and the results are better. Our action
was resented by the local press. We
were told that the local ordinance
sufficed for the care of the city
but have found this ordinance to be
very loose and Intellectual. In fact, the
care exercised has not been what it
should be. There was one case of a
man who was four days in the smallpox
hospital, who was released when it was
discovered that he had the measles. The
first case came to Los Angeles from
Mexico in February. This is easily
traced. In the last part of February
there were only twelve cases. Now
there are forty reported. There have
been several deaths. I had engage
ments which demanded my return to the
city at this time. The majority of the
State Board of Health, DR.. Orme, DIR.
Tyrrell, DIR. Cole and DR. Crowder. have
gone from Los Angeles to San Diego.
It is the intention of tho Board to place
inspectors at San Pedro, where passengers
60 from Los Angeles to take the steamer
up the Coast, at Mojave, Cotton and
Indio. l do not think that the disease
will be epidemic and extend throughout
the State, if the Los Angeles local au-
thorities exercise due diligence. There
should be quarantine points at Ell Paso,
Nogales and Yuma. The members of
the Board who have gone to San Diego
may proceed along the Mexican border
for some distance. In conclusion,I say
yes, that the condition is serious. do
mot want to tell anything sensational,
but just the facts as they should be
known"